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Center Methodist Church

SC PICTURE PROJECT 8 Comments

SC Picture Project / Oconee County / Center Methodist Church

Center Methodist Church in the Oconee County community of Oakway was formed in 1836, and its location originally served as a camp meeting site. Rather than traveling to a church in the closest town, members would gather outdoors at a “camp” and listen to sermons preached by itinerant Methodist ministers traveling on their routes known as circuits. Center Methodist was the only congregation on the Pickens Circuit.

Center Church

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2004 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Around 1870 this meeting house was built, which increased the popularity of the church for Oakway residents and other nearby Methodists. The church remained on a preaching circuit, however, and by 1878 Center Methodist had been shifted to the Townville Circuit. By the 1930s Center Methodist Church had diminished in membership, as many parishioners opted to join a congregation in Townville. As a result, Center Methodist closed.

Center Methodist Church

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2004 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

According to twin sisters Thelma and Zelma Mason, who were born in 1915 and grew up across the street from Center Methodist, a tent revival was held in Oakway some time in the 1930s that they suspect pulled membership away from Center Church. With only a church reunion held in 1944, Center Methodist became a vacant building with no congregation to care for it.

Center Church Oakway

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2004 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Fortunately for the one-room building, the Mason sisters donated their time and money to the upkeep of the church to the best of their abilities. Their efforts paid off; in 2009 the United Methodist Conference of South Carolina donated the building to the Oconee Heritage Center with the intent of restoring the building and use it for interpretive purposes. The group has evolved to become the Historic Center Church Association, which now owns and maintains the church and graveyard.

Center Church Oconee County

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2004 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The fundraising attempts by the sisters not only kept the building reasonably preserved, but also drew attention to a church that was significant in the religious history of Oconee County. Thanks to the efforts of the Mason sisters, Center Methodist Church opened its doors for a Christmas worship service in 2013. The Historic Center Church Association hopes to continue hosting Christmas Eve morning services each year.

Zelma Mason

Bill Segars of Hartsville, 2004 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Zelma Mason passed away on August 30, 2014 at the age of 99. Above is a photo of her taken inside Center Methodist Church taken on October 15, 2004, at the age of 89.

Detailed History of Center Methodist Church


Below is an article that was contributed to the South Carolina Picture Project by Bill Segars of Hartsville. It originally appeared in his local paper, The Darlington New & Press. It was published in December of 2015.

My hope is that each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. So I could have a good Thanksgiving and not think about writing this article the entire weekend, I’ve chosen to write a short one this week. It will be short because not much is known about Center Methodist Church in Oakway. Yes I know, not many of you know where Oakway is. I didn’t either until I drove through it, very quickly. Center Methodist is located at 6645 West Oakway Highway (South Carolina Highway 24) in Oconee County, southeast of Westminster. Do you know where I am now?

Since I first saw Center Methodist on October 15, 2004, I have been able to obtain a couple of printed documents pertaining to its history. Most of what I know about this little building was told to me by a person that experienced its growth and decline firsthand. The printed documents simply confirmed what I was told. The delightful person that I was fortunate to meet that beautiful fall day in 2004 is “The Story of Center Methodist Church”.

I was not looking for Center Methodist that fall day, I was driving from point A to point B, looking at the beautiful fall foliage of upstate South Carolina. Even when I saw it, I didn’t know what I was seeing. There was no church sign, no steeple with a cross, just a few tombstones behind the building that could be seen from the highway. That was the only hint that this little 30-foot-by-44-foot white lap siding building sitting on top of a red clay hill in a grove of hickory trees could possibly be a church.

Feeling rather sure of the possibility that it could be a church, I turned around and went back. As I parked, I saw a lady raking leaves in the front yard of the house across the road. When we made eye contact, she waved and I waved, at which time she began walking towards me. The closer she got to me I could tell that she was an elderly lady, possibly wondering what I was doing. When we greeted each other, I sensed very quickly that I was in the presence of someone special, a sweet lady. I took my hat off, introduced myself, told her what I was doing, and asked her if this building was a church.

From this point, 89-year-old Zelma Mason took over the conversation. She asked if I would like to go inside the building. Of course, I said yes. She shuffled back across the highway to retrieve the key. When we went inside, everything was there: the pews, the pulpit and the pot belly stove. We sat on a pew, and Miss Zelma began to tell me the story of Center Methodist. I don’t know who enjoyed our time together more, Miss Zelma or me. It was a rewarding day that I’ll never forget.

Some of her exact dates were a little uncertain – remember, Miss Zelma at the time was 89 years old, born in 1915. Between the printed information that I’ve found and the fact that Miss Zelma has lived across from the church with her blind twin sister, Thelma, since birth, this is what I’ve learned about Center Methodist. The first mention of a church in the Center Community is noted in the Pickens Circuit records, dated August 8, 1851. There is no mention of a building, but as a “camp meeting under a brush arbor”. Miss Zelma has been told that the building we were sitting in was built sometime between 1860 and 1870.

In 1878 Center Church was transferred to the Townville Circuit with a membership of 81 and a building valued at $200. Miss Zelma told me that the church was well maintained, and the congregation grew until 1934. That was a pivotal year for the Center Church. A week-long tent revival service was held in the neighboring community of Townville. She said after that, Center Church was never the same. All of the Center Church members moved to the new church in Townville, and the Center Church closed, never to hold a regular service there again.

There is a record of a reunion service being held there on July 30, 1944. After that, the church fell silent again. When the building began to fall into disrepair and conversation circulated that the building might be torn down, the Mason sisters put in $1,000 of their money along with $4,000 that they raised to repair the building’s windows, roof and siding. Miss Zelma told me, “I didn’t want the families of the folks buried here not to have a church building beside their loved ones.” They did this because they loved the little church building across the highway from their house. Keep in mind, the Masons were never members of Center Church, they were members of Bethel Baptist Church.

In 2009, the United Methodist Conference of South Carolina donated Center Church to the Oconee Heritage Center. When work began to repair Center again, at the age of 94, Zelma and Thelma were there to “supervise” from their front porch. I was fortunate to be able to keep up with this work over the next four years as the Heritage Center readied the building for a Christmas service on December 24, 2013, the first service in 69 years. Christmas Eve is a busy time for everyone, and Oakway is a long way from Hartsville, but this service was a “must be there” for me. I couldn’t think of a better place to be that year to celebrate the birth of Christ and the rebirth of Center Methodist Church.

At the age of 98, Miss Zelma was not able to attend this service due to declining health. She told me in 2004 how pleasing it was as a child to see the churchyard full of the members’ horses and buggies. So I have the peace of mind knowing that she must have been pleased to again see the parking lot full, this time with cars, from her bedroom window. If you happen to be in the area, or can see your way clear to attend the 11:00 a.m. service on December 24 at Center Church, you’ll experience one of the best country Christmas services of your life. Unfortunately Miss Zelma will not be there; she died peacefully on August 30, 2014 at the age of 99.

Plan Your Trip: Center Methodist Church

Where is Center Methodist Church located?
Address: 6645 West Oak Highway, Oakway, SC 29693
GPS Coordinates: 34.597946,-83.007402
Website: http://www.oconeeheritagecenter.org/
What else should I see?
Retreat Rosenwald School 7.1 miles
Musser Fruit Research Farm 8 miles
Faith Cabin Library 10.2 miles
Old Seneca Baptist Church 10.5 miles
Show me more like this!
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    Center Methodist Church Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gayle Taylor Warren says

      November 6, 2020 at 8:14 PM

      I am planning to visit the Center Methodist Church Cemetery in Oakway, SC soon, as my grandparents, great-grandparents, and other relatives are buried there (I am 81, so I’d better hurry). I remember visiting there as a child and found a Bible on the alter with my grandfather’s name inside. The church was beginning to fall into ruin, but the alter was still intact (no services were held). My grandparents were buried across the road as I remember. They were Fred S. Taylor and Cora E. Bearden Taylor.

      Reply
    2. Gayle T. Warren says

      November 5, 2020 at 5:04 PM

      I have several grandparents buried in the church cemetery (Taylors/Beardens).

      Reply
    3. W. Calvin King says

      April 18, 2019 at 8:57 PM

      To Cynitha Addis
      John William (not Wesley) Spearman King (b: Apr 11, 1872, d: Jul 15, 1943) is the son of Robert William King (my G-Grandfather).

      John William Spearman King’s wife was Maggie Dela Moore (b: Jan 7, 1878, d: May 21, 1906). John and Maggie are both buried in the Oakway Wesleyan Methodist Church cemetery.

      The Wesleyan Church and the Center Church are across the road from each other if you are not familiar with their locations.

      I’m sorry I can’t assist you more with your research on the “Moore” family but I didn’t have an interest to do a research on my G-Aunt Maggie Dela Moore.

      Reply
    4. W. Calvin KING says

      April 18, 2019 at 8:30 PM

      To All Who Are Interested,
      Oakway community is home of Center church and me.
      Oakway Wesleyan Methodist Church basically came out of the Center Church. Membership records for Center church show that 26 members left Center church in late 1892 to April, 1893. The Oakway Wesleyan Church was founded April 30, 1893.

      I grew up in the Oakway Wesleyan church. I don’t know anyone living (I’n 75) that has more ancestrial ties to Center Methodist Church than myself. All total I have 7 sets of grandparents connected with Center church — on my daddy’s side, my mama’s side, and my mother-in-law’s side.

      Zelma and Thelma Mason (Mason twin sisters) are my second cousins. Their G-Grandfather, Elias Mason, is the father of my G-Grandmother on my Daddy’s side.

      The demise of Center United Methodist church aka Center Methodist Episcopal Church when it was founded was slavery. The Methodist Episcopal denomination split after prohibition into ME-North (anti slavery) and ME-South (favored slavery).

      Before prohibition no denomination other than Quakers was more against slavery than the Wesleyan Methodist denomination.

      Oakway Wesleyan Methodist Church was founded April 30, 1893. Most my ancestors left Center church and joined the new Oakway Wesleyan Church which was chartered next door to the Mason twins home.

      Reply
    5. Cynthia Addis says

      October 18, 2018 at 11:28 AM

      My great, granparents, John Wesley Spearman King & Maggie Dela Moore King are buried there. Rev. Nettie Mayfield King Hanvey is my grandmother. She attended that church. I know nothing about the Moores and can find no information on them. Matilda Jane Mason & Robert William King were my great, great grandparents.

      Reply
    6. Bowen says

      September 20, 2018 at 2:48 PM

      Could I use some of your pics? I live nearby and helped restore it years ago.

      Reply
      • SC Picture Project says

        September 21, 2018 at 6:37 AM

        You did a beautiful job! Since the photographs are still the property of the people who contribute them, we aren’t able to grant permission for use directly. However, you can reach Bill Segars by email at billsegars@gmail.com. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    7. Teresa (Mandy) Snider Tracy says

      September 18, 2018 at 8:02 AM

      Thanks you for publishing this article about the Center Methodist Church. My grandparents were buried there back in the 60s. I have visited it many times over the years. I remember the church before the repair and renovation took place. The sisters and the historic society have done a ton of work. I never knew about the Christmas Eve service. I wonder if they still have it. I would love to attend. I am from out of state but would surely come back for that. I never met the sisters but had read about them in an article years back. I wish I could have met them. I am so happy that you did and could share a little window of this sweet lady. I have never been in the church. If the Christmas Eve service continues please respond. Thanks for writing this article. I truly enjoyed it! Mandy (Snider) Tracy

      Reply

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